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| Thursday, June 1, 2000, Chandigarh, India    |
Urban teachers to be shifted to
rural areas 200 cr for drinking water in Kandi Principal, lecturers booked for
fraud ‘Police working to destroy
evidence’
Elections to nagar panchayats
stayed No alliance with Congress, says
Tohra Stir threat by district Cong |
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PPCC meeting on June 3
HC directive to gurdwara panel Undeclared power cuts galore Traffic rules to be implemented
PTU fails to issue marks cards Governor assures college teachers
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Urban teachers to be shifted
to rural areas CHANDIGARH, May 31 — All teachers having a stay of over 15 years in government schools located in urban areas will be shifted to rural areas. Already , the Punjab Cabinet has approved a policy decision to this effect which will enforced in the first week of June. A high level meeting to discuss this issue will be held here tomorrow . All district education officers, circle education officers and others concerned from the State Education Department have been invited for the meeting. The district education officers have been told to bring details of teachers posted in urban schools and their period of stay. Confirming the decision, the Punjab Education Minister, Mr Tota Singh, said that the step had been initiated to rationalise the teaching staff in all government schools in urban and rural areas. Giving examples in this connection, he said that there were a large number of schools in urban areas where teachers were in surplus numbers. For instance in Chunni Kalan schools only 18 teachers were required while number was more than 30, while a large number posts in rural areas were vacant. Earlier, about a decade ago, an attempt was made by the then government but it flopped. Whether, Mr Tota Singh would be successful, only implementation of the policy decision in days to come will tell. Mr Tota Singh said that the government would not bow to any pressure and would be fair to all. The number of applicants for transfer against each vacant post in urban areas, where it exists, varies between 50 to 100. He said that for filling one vacant post of English teacher in Government School, Desu Majra, near Kharar, there were over 50 aspirants. But, Mr Tota Singh said that he had decided to post Mr Sanjiv Kumar, a blind teacher there. Mr Sanjiv Kumar is posted at Khamano at present and his result in the schools of the subjects taught by him was 100 per cent. There would be no transfer of teachers from the primary school blocks where posts were vacant . Teachers seeking transfer to such blocks would have to provide substitutes. For instance, there were a large number of posts vacant in Talwandi Saboo primary school block while number of posts in Bathinda -I and II blocks was surplus. The government has decided to provide teachers in rural areas as per prescribed student ratio. For science subjects, this criteria would not be followed as at various places teachers have to be provided even for 10 students opting for science course. Meanwhile, informed
sources said that there were a large number of teachers
who live in towns and cities but are posted in rural
areas. They claim rural house rent allowance to the tune
of 11 per cent by showing that they live in rural areas.
This practice would be stopped by all means, it is
learnt. |
Rural water scheme
inaugurated DERA BASSI, May 31 — The Punjab Government will spend Rs 200 core to provide drinking water in different villages of Kandi area in the current financial year. The statement was made by Capt Kanwaljit Singh, Finance and Planning Minister of Punjab, while addressing a public gathering before inaugurating a Rs 49.66 lakh rural water supply scheme at Trivedi Camp, near here, today. The minister said 11 similar schemes on which Rs 3 crore had been spent were already in operation and supplying drinking water to the villages of Dera Bassi subdivision. Five more schemes were under consideration which will fulfill the water shortage being faced by the residents of the area. He criticised the Congress for not fulfilling the basic needs of the people at village level even after being in power for 50 years. Mr G.S.Ghai, Executive Officer, Public Health, stated that Bhankharpur village and some other parts of the area would also be beneficiaries of this scheme. Earlier, the minister also laid the foundation stone of the new building at the local Government High School. Beside providing the basic facilities, the government would spent Rs 30 crore on the buildings and the furniture for the primary level schools in the state during the current financial year, he said. The government would get reports about the expenditure and achievements from the principals of the schools annually. Action would be taken action against the teachers who neglected their work, the minister said. The minister felt that rapid progress in the filed of education could only be possible if various social organisations came forward and join hands in this noble cause. The local truck union and property dealers contributed Rs 50,000 and Rs 11,000, respectively, while Rs 4.88 lakh had already been given by the government for the construction of school building and other infrastructure. A cultural programme was also presented by the school students on this occasion. Mr S.S. Sidhu, SDM, Mr
Jagjit Singh Dalli, chief of the local municipal council,
Mr Sukhdev Singh Changera, member,zila parishad, Mr
Sunehari Lal, Mr Kartar Singh, sarpanches of Trivedi Camp
and Mianpur village and other residents of surrounding
villages were also present. |
Principal, lecturers booked for
fraud GURDASPUR, May 31 — The police has detected a fraud committed by the S.D. College authorities, Pathankot. According to Mr Varinder Kumar, SSP, a lecturer of the college, was also harassed. Mr Varinder Kumar while briefing mediapersons here today said Principal Manohar Lal Sharma has been arrested and sent to the judicial custody today. His associates Chaudhary Rajeshwar and Rakesh Trikha, both lecturers, and Ashwani Kumar, college superintendent, have been granted bail by the Punjab and Haryana High Court. A case under various sections of the IPC was registered against the accused on September 7, 1999. The SSP said Gurpreet Kaur, a lecturer, had complained that she was appointed as lecturer in chemistry in 1989 and her services were terminated in 1991 levelling false allegations against her. She appealed to the state college tribunal, Punjab, who ordered the college authorities to re-instate her from the date of termination and pay her all arrears for the termination period with 12 per cent interest. She was reinstated on October 23, 1998. She was made to sign six blank credit cheques, six blank debit cheques, six vouchers and six revenue stamps in advance. On December 4, 1998, the college authorities played a fraud. A cheque number CA-982908 amounting to Rs 1,20,256 lakh was deposited in her account in the State Bank of Patiala functioning on the college premises. The same day the entire amount was withdrawn. Then again on December 8, 1998, a cheque amounting to Rs 2,15,570 lakh was deposited in her account as her arrears without her knowledge and the same was withdrawn by the accused. When the lecturer came to know about it she changed her single account to joint account with her father. The third time the college authorities attempted to withdraw Rs 4.70 lakh against cheque No. 486223 but were told by the bank authorities that now they could only deposit the amount of her arrears and could not withdraw. On interrogation the Principal confessed to having committed a fraud and harass the lecturer. The police also
recovered two cheques presented by Mrs Gurpreet Kaur
against which the amount had been withdrawn by the
college authorities. About the remaining pre-signed
cheques by the lecturer, the Principal said those were in
the custody of the office superintendent. |
‘Police working to destroy
evidence’ CHANDIGARH, May 31 — Continuing with the arguments on the petition seeking directions for registering a case “against all those found responsible for causing Harpreet Kaur and her child’s death”, counsel for her husband today stated that no one was above law. Arguing before Mr Justice Amarbir Singh Gill, counsel also stated that investigation must be held into the factors leading to Harpreet Kaur’s death. The State government, counsel added, had conceded in their reply that Harpreet Kaur was engaged to Mr Kamaljit Singh and was also pregnant. He also added that the police was working to destroy the evidence. Today’s arguments formed a part of a 21-page rejoinder to the State’s reply earlier filed by petitioner Mr Kamaljit Singh. After hearing the arguments for over half-an-hour in a jam-packed court room, Mr Justice Gill adjourned further proceedings in the case to June 2. The Punjab Inspector General of Police Mr K.K. Attri, it may be recalled, had stated on the last date of hearing that the enquiry being carried out in Harpreet Kaur’s case had confirmed her engagement with Mr. Kamaljit Singh. The enquiry, the police had added, had also revealed that “one Harpeet Kaur wife of Kamaljit Singh had visited a lady doctor where pregnancy test on urine was found positive”. Mr Kamaljit Singh had earlier asked for handing over the probe to an independent agency like the CBI. Directions for fixing responsibility on persons involved in the “disappearance of evidence” had also sought. He had alleged that
“on account of political power and influence wielded
by Bibi Jagir Kaur, the case relating to Harpreet Kaur
and her child’s death would be hushed up and all
those responsible for the same would not be
touched”. He had further added that the facts and
circumstances “clearly indicated that efforts were
being made to hush up the case”. |
Elections to nagar panchayats
stayed CHANDIGARH May 31 — The Punjab and Haryana High Court today stayed the elections to the nagar panchayats of Ajnala and Rayya Mandi in Amritsar district on two different petitions. In their petition taken up by Mr Justice H.S. Bedi and Mr Justice A.S. Garg of the High Court, Mr Vijay Kumar and two others had earlier asked for quashing of a notification whereby reservation made in favour of women and backward classes had been changed by renumbering the nagar panchayat wards. The petitioners had added that the act was done “with mala fide intention to deprive them of their legal and democratic right of contesting the elections.” Describing the order as “based on irrelevant factors for irrelevant considerations”, counsel for the petitioners had added on their behalf that no reason or ground was given by the respondents while renumbering the wards. In the other petition,
Mr. Bishmad Singh and 13 other residents of Rayya Mandi
had sought the quashing of the order “vide which the
names of the petitioner and their families had been
wrongly deleted”. Their counsel had added that the
names of certain respondents had, meanwhile, been
“wrongly included”. |
No alliance with Congress,
says Tohra LUDHIANA, May 31 — The Sarb Hind Shiromani Akali Dal (SHSAD) President, Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra, did not rule out an adjustment with other like-minded parties, electoral or otherwise, including SAD (A) led by Mr Simranjit Singh Mann in the party’s fight against SAD-BJP government in Punjab. Talking to mediapersons here after the conclusion of the SHSAD dharna in front of the mini secretariat today, Mr Tohra, however, made it clear that his party would have no truck with the Congress, which was responsible for most of the problems being faced by Punjab. Charging the BJP with pursuing a secret agenda, the former SGPC president remarked that propaganda by the RSS and the Rashtriya Sikh Sangat was a part of this nefarious campaign to create confusion and dissensions among the Sikh community. Mr Tohra lambasted the NDA government at the Centre for giving free entry to multinational corporations (MNCs) and causing grave damage to the national economy. On according his
party’s formal recognition to the new head priest of
Akal Takht, Giani Singh Vedanti, Mr Tohra said his party
welcomed the call given by the Jathedar to observe June 6
as martyrdom day at the Golden Temple complex and would
join the same if invited by the head priest. |
Stir threat by district Cong PATIALA, May 31 — The District Congress Committee (Urban ) has decided to resort to an agitation from June 15 onwards if public grievances were not removed by then by the Municipal Corporation. In a statement here on Tuesday, DCC President Ved Prakash Gupta said a deputation of the party unit headed by him had met Corporation Commissioner K.S. Kang and submitted a memorandum listing the various problems being faced by the people. He said these included scarcity of water, bad condition of roads, disturbed arrangements for streetlights, deterioration in the sanitation, improper garbage collection and disposal, encroachments on public parks and traffic bottlenecks. Mr Gupta said the
district Congress would be compelled to demonstrate the
public resentment through dharnas and protest rallies and
even a fast if needed. He said a deputation of the DCC
would also call on Punjab Governor Lt Gen J.F.R. Jacob on
June 1. |
PPCC meeting on June 3 CHANDIGARH, May 31 — A meeting of the general body of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee will be held on June 3 at Punjab Congress Bhavan. It will be presided over by the PPCC President, Capt Amarinder Singh. The AICC General Secretary, Mr Moti Lal Vora, will also attend the meeting. A programme to hold
dharnas at block level in protest against the
anti-people, anti-poor and anti-farmer policies of the
BJP-led government in the Centre would be finalised at
meeting. All office-bearers, members of executive, AICC
members, heads of frontal organisations and cells and
presidents of district units of the party have been
invited to the meeting. |
HC directive to gurdwara panel AMRITSAR, May 31 — The Punjab and Haryana High Court has directed the Sikh Gurdwara Judicial Commission to decide its jurisdiction to entertain a petition regarding the religious institute of Tilla Sheikh Baba Farid located at Faridkot. A division Bench consisting of Mr Justice N.K. Sodhi and Mr Justice R.C. Kathuria had issued orders on May 29 in this regard on a writ petition filed by president of the managing committee of the institute, Mr Inderjit Singh Sekhon who had apprehended that the commission on the next date of hearing of the petition (May 31) was likely to appoint a receiver and take over the management of the institution which would be in contravention of the orders of this court in CWP 1651 or 1980 and also contrary to Section 142 of the Sikh Gurdwara Act. Mr Sekhon and another petitioner had filed two applications before the commission challenging its jurisdiction to entertain such a petition unless the institution was declared a Sikh gurdwara by the state government. The order of the high court was submitted to the Sikh Gurdwara Judicial Commission by the counsel for Mr Sekhon when the commission took up further hearing of the petition here today. The Bench had observed without going into the merits of the disputes raised in the petition we dispose of the same with a direction to the Judicial Commission to decide the question of jurisdiction and dispose of the applications filed by the petitioners before passing a final order on the petition. In its order the Bench further observed that the notification of the state government dated April 11, 1978, declaring the institute of Tilla Sheikh Baba Farid, Shakarganj, Faridkot as a Sikh Gurdwara under Section 9 of the Gurdwara Act, was quashed by this court on July 13, 1998, and the matter was remanded to the Sikh Gurdwara Tribunal for deciding whether the institution was a Sikh gurdwara or not. This court while remanding the case to the tribunal ordered that till such time the matter was determined by the tribunal, a status quo regarding management and possession would be maintained. It said the contention of the counsel for the petitioners that the Sikh Gurdwara Tribunal was yet to decide whether the institution in question was a gurdwara or not and even before the decision in this issue, the respondents had moved a petition in which notices had been issued to the petitioners. The three member commission thereon on fixed the next date of hearing of petition of Mr Harbans Singh and Mr Gurdev Singh of Faridkot seeking the removal of Mr Sekhon and Mr Ranjit Singh Kohli member of the management committee and appointment of a receiver for the said “gurdwara” on July 18. Meanwhile the counsel
for the petitioners in a written reply to the application
of Mr Sekhon submitted that once the respondent had
admitted himself that the institution was a Sikh gurdwara
and even otherwise respondent was a nominee of the SGPC
as such they could not turn back and say the institution
was not a Sikh gurdwara, so his application was liable
for dismissal. |
Undeclared power cuts galore FATEHGARH SAHIB, May 31 — Erratic power supply and undeclared power cuts have falsified all claims of the state government that during this summer season there would be no power cuts. Frequent unannounced power cuts have thrown normal life out of gear causing great discomfort and inconvenience to the general public. The supply of power in Sirhind and Bassi Pathana towns of the district is very poor. The position is worse in rural areas. The villages surrounding the district headquarters virtually have no power supply throughout the nights. Even during day time, the power is supplied only for a few hours. Mr Varinder Singh of Attewali village, near here, said they were without power for the past two nights. Mr Darshan Singh of Nandpur Kalaur village said the villagers must be supplied power not only during the night time, but also during the day time for the domestic purpose. Mr Pritam Singh, Lambardar of Bibipur village, Mr Ajaib Singh of Barkatpur and Mr Inderjit Singh Sandhu, Sarpanch of Mirpur village said villagers were ready to pay for power, but the government should ensure round-the-clock power supply. The failure of power supply has also affected the other basic amenities like water supply. When contacted, Mr
Ujjagar Singh Dhillon, XEN, said the power controller
imposed power cuts. He said the cuts were imposed when
the consumption increased. |
Traffic rules to be implemented PATIALA, May 31 — The Punjab and Haryana High Court orders to observe traffic rules in the city will be implemented. This was disclosed by the Deputy Commissioner, Mr J.S. Bir while addressing a meeting of senior officers of the district administration held here on Monday. Mr Bir said that the high-powered committee constituted by the high court had visited various cities of the state and took strong notice of the flagrant violation of traffic rules. Mr Bir urged the officers that they should take strict action against any unauthorised person using red lights on their vehicles. He added that the District Magistrate, Additional District Magistrate, SDM, Executive Magistrate, officers above the rank of DSP, District Transport Officer, Additional DTO, officers above the rank of Excise and Taxation officers, however, can use the revolving red light atop their official vehicles on night duty. Mr J.S. Bir asked the
officers concerned that they should stop the use of black
films in vehicles and check pollution levels of all type
of four-wheelers. |
A ‘rolling
stone’ engineer! NAWANSHAHR, May 31 — The Punjab Water Supply and Sewerage Board authorities have virtually made one of its subdivisional engineers, Mr Amrik Singh, a rolling stone. Mr Amrik Singh was
transferred from Jalandhar to Amritsar on April 1, 2000.
He applied for his transfer from Amritsar to Nawanshahr,
but was transferred to Ropar where he joined on May 14.
Again on May 19, he was transferred from Ropar to
Nawanshahr where he joined on May 23. But on May 30, he
again received a message from the headquarters that he
had been transferred. Formal orders are awaited. |
PCMSA for stay on transfers CHANDIGARH, May 31
— The PCMS Association in a request submitted to the
Punjab Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, has urged
to stay the transfer orders of over 750 doctors in the
State. The Association in a representation to the Chief
Minister has alleged that such a large number of
transfers were against the transfer policy of the State. |
Army expedition flagged off JALANDHAR, May 31 — The 11 member mountaineering expedition of 9 Dogra Regiment was flagged off by Lieut Gen Kamal Davar, GOC, Vajra Corps, at the Cantonment here yesterday. The expedition to
Chhamser Kangri and Lungser Kangri in Ladakh is being
undertaken under the aegis of the Pine Division. |
Youth beaten up: SGPC takes
note AMRITSAR, May 31 — The SGPC yesterday took a serious note of an incident in a train where a Sikh youth was seriously injured by miscreants. The youth had reportedly asked the miscreant not to smoke bidi. The smoker along with others hit the youth with stones and seriously injured him and his family members. The SGPC in a press note
said the incident happened in full view of the railway
police which remained a mute spectator to the incident. |
PTU fails to issue marks cards JALANDHAR, May 31 — Young engineers and students who have completed different courses from colleges affiliated with the local Punjab Technical University (PTU) are at the receiving end owing to the dilly-dallying on the part of the authorities in granting details marks cards (DMCs) to them. The ‘indifferences’ of the university authorities could be gauged from the fact that some of the students who had completed their degrees or other courses last year, are yet to receive their DMCs. The problem is particularly acute in case of those students who hail from far-flung areas of the state and have to make rounds of the university repeatedly just to enquire about the fate of their certificates or have to face rude behaviour of the officials. During a visit to the university campus, this correspondent came across about two dozen such students, who had allegedly failed to obtain their DMCs in spite of visiting registrars and various university offices more than 7-8 times. Ruchi Nagar, a Chandigarh-based mechanical engineering student who had completed his degree last year said,” In addition to failure to get certificates after 6-7 rounds, what pains me most is the rude posture adopted by officials who are unwilling to divulge the reason behind the inordinate delay in grant of the DMC to me.” He further said that after being fed up with the lower level officials he had to talk to the registrar, who in turn directed his staff to ensure speedy delivery of the certificate to him, but no action had been taken so far. Similarly, a group of students accompanied by their parents, standing in front of the office of the registrar alleged that most of them who were lucky to get certificates were suffering on account of mistakes in their certificates. Jaspreet Singh Dhillon, also a mechanical engineering student, said though his surname had been there in his certificates till he completed the fourth semester of his degree, all of a sudden it vanished in all of his post-fourth semester certificates and it was not there even in the final certificate which he had got last year. “A year has lapsed. I have visited the university office a number of times, but the problem remains there as no correction has been made by the authorities,” he lamented. Mr Satpal Singh, a resident of Amritsar and father of a student who had completed his textile engineering degree this year, was a confused man as none of the officials was ready to tell him when his son will be able to get his much-awaited DMC. “Results were declared by the university on March 15, but no degree has been sent to us so far. At times they promise that my work will be done soon and at times they try to evade me by saying that the delay had been caused as wrong result had been prepared by the Regional Engineering College officials, who, in turn, try to shift the buck by saying that it was the job of the PTU authorities. I don’t know where to go,” said Mr Satpal Singh. The plight of Satbir Singh, a former student of Guru Nanak Engineering College, Ludhiana, who had completed his mechanical engineering degree in 1999, was not different. According to him, he had got the results of all semester except that of the fifth one. “I have already visited the university 8-10 times but without any success. Now they have asked me to come on June 6. Can an unemployed person like me afford to waste money in this way?” he questioned. Mr Mohinder Bir Singh,
Registrar, admitted that there was a problem in some
cases, particularly those pertaining to students who have
already completed different courses in 1997-98 from
different colleges affiliated to the PTU. “Actually
it was the duty of the respective colleges to take up
cases of their students well in time, but they failed to
do so, resulting in this chaos.” He said he had
directed his officials to clear the backlog as soon as
possible. |
Governor assures college teachers CHANDIGARH, May 31 — The Governor of Punjab at a meeting with delegates of the Punjab and Chandigarh College Teachers Union here today assured taking up the case of a viable gratuity scheme for them with the government for implementation. A press release of the PCCTU said the scheme had been passed long back but the government had failed to ensure its implementation. The union delegation was led by Prof K.B.S. Sodhi, president, and Prof Charanjit Chawla, general secretary. It was pointed out that
the government had failed to honour its notification. |
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